Tony Jaa Offered Role In KL GANGSTER 2?

Chalk this up to wishful thinking on the part of KL Gangster producer Datuk Yusof Haslam, assuming there's anything to it at all.

An enormous local success, KL Gangster packed theaters in Malaysia with enthusiastic audiences, a fact that has led to a sequel. A prequel, actually, so that they can keep popular characters who didn't make it to the end of the original, but you get the point: Successful film leads to increased budget and expectations on the follow up.

Director Syamsul Yusof has reportedly invited prominent local actor Rosyam Nor to join the cast and according to local tabloid Berita Harian, Ong Bak star Tony Jaa has been offered a role as well.

Tracking the story from this point is like a game of broken telephone in action. The Malay tabloid ran the story stating clearly that it was a rumor heard by the author with no further support. Then Yahoo Singapore picked up that story, offering it in English saying that Jaa will "most likely feature" in the cast. Now other English language outlets are picking it up and phrasing their headlines as definite casting news.

Bluntly, this isn't going to happen. The goal for KL Gangster 2 is to get it up and running as soon as possible and Jaa is still tied up with the shoot for Tom Yum Goong 2, which was delayed by the flooding in Thailand. And the chances of Jaa making his international debut - his first project outside of Thailand - in a support role in a relatively small market like Malaysia when he has been offered much larger, more lucrative parts in much more prominent markets such as Hong Kong and America ... well, it's just not going to happen.